


A Debt Repaid

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Drama, M/M, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2017-11-17 12:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/551793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chaya has a debt to repay for her duplicity on Atlantis</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Debt Repaid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Debris_K](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debris_K/gifts).



> Written for **Debris_k** as a Trick or Treat gift!

Rodney had never expected them to see Chaya again, especially after the less-than-warm welcome he'd extended towards her on Atlantis last time around. At the time, all he knew was that she was lying to them, though in hindsight, he had to admit that jealousy had also played a part. He had never felt such a strong reaction to anyone before, not even realizing that he was in love with John until he saw Chaya enticing him away with her seeming perfection.

It had hurt, and he had deliberately sought to discredit her, only to feel the greater shock of learning that she was not only an Ancient, but an Ascended Ancient. Long after she had left Atlantis, locking the gate to Proculus once John had returned alone in the Puddlejumper, he still regretted the lost opportunity. There was so much that she could have told them that would not have interfered with her _punishment_ , so much he could have learned about Atlantis and the Wraith.

Years had passed since then, and as Atlantis settled onto the ocean of her new homeworld in Pegasus after the flight back from the Milky Way, Rodney's thoughts were clouded by memories. For a moment he thought of Jennifer, saddened by their parting and yet understanding why she had moved on without him. He had loved her but not with the all-consuming passion that filled him whenever he thought of John, and eventually she had tired of being his second choice.

He needed more than John's simple friendship to ease the loneliness, yet he was afraid to reach out and ask for more in case he lost even that small part of John. 

When the unscheduled Stargate activation alert sounded, the soldiers raced into position, and a shock had rippled through them all when the shield failed. The shape that took form brought their P90s to bear but Rodney knew without a shadow of doubt that it was Chaya. He took the stairs down to the gate room floor at a fast pace before freezing and stepping back in remembrance of his actions last time around. Chaya had no reason to hold him in anything other than contempt. Her eyes followed the line of the stairs up to where John was making his way down at a slower pace, and Rodney could not help the sudden surge of jealousy as her smile grew warmer.

"John Sheppard."

"Chaya," he smiled back, and Rodney tried to swallow down the sick feeling in his gut as John reached out a hand to her. "I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"It is always a pleasure to see you again, John, but I have come to converse with Doctor McKay."

"Really?" Rodney asked, somewhat surprised.

She stopped before him, and smiled.

****

Although it seemed weird at first, Rodney accompanied Chaya as they made their way to the hydroponics area. He watched her drift through the various plants from dozens of worlds, fingers brushing glossy leaves or stopping to take in the scent of a flower.

"Beautiful," she murmured. "Your botanists are dedicated to their work."

"Um. Yes." He looked around, having not fully appreciated their efforts until this moment when he looked upon it all with fresh eyes. "Um. So." he rubbed his hands together nervously. "What did you want to... converse with me about?"

"John Sheppard."

Rodney blinked, confused. "I don't..."

"You are worthy of him. His equal in all ways, descended from those of us you call the Ancients"

"I'm... I'm not a true gene carrier. It's artificially--"

Chaya laughed softly, shaking her head as if dealing with a small child, and Rodney supposed that he must seem so in her ancient eyes.

"If accessing our technology was simply a matter of basic genetics then the Wraith would have incorporated it within themselves many thousands of years ago. What makes you a descendant is held deeper than the strands of DNA that determine your being."

"Then the gene therapy--"

"Was immaterial. Your ability to access the technology would have come eventually as the great city reactivated the correct sequence of DNA within you. Your primitive gene therapy merely hastened a process already undergoing within your form."

"But Sheppard--"

Chaya smiled serenely. "For some, reactivation was unnecessary, or a faster process because of a stronger bloodline."

"Some of us here still can't--"

"Not all of your people are our descendants, Doctor McKay. Some of your people are descended from seedlings, such as the Athosians, or are the second evolution of this form." She sighed. "It is the blending of the old and new that has weakened the bloodline within you where others, such as John's, retained greater purity."

"Huh!" He pondered on that for a moment but was still confused, and he hated having to admit to a lack of knowledge. "I still don't understand what you want from me."

"I have come to repay a debt owed to you for my duplicity."

"I guess, I owe you an apology too," he replied stiffly. "For..." he waved his hand, hoping she didn't need him to explain how insanely jealous she had made him regarding John. Fortunately, John was too oblivious to have figured that out, and likely thought Rodney was jealous of him rather than of Chaya.

She smiled serenely and began to walk away, her shape slowly dissolving into tentacles of brilliant light.

"Wait! What repayment?" he called out but she vanished altogether, leaving him alone in the hydroponics bay.

*****

That night, the chime on his door rang just as he was about to turn in for the night, and he debated whether or not to answer. It rang again and he sighed heavily.

"Yes, yes. Enter."

John stood on the threshold, hand creeping to the back of his neck and rubbing there in a familiar way, revealing his nervousness.

"Hey Rodney."

"Hey yourself."

"Can I...?"

"Um. Yes. Of course." Rodney quickly moved some piles of books and science journals off a chair, expecting John to take a seat but when he stood up after placing the items in a pile on the floor, he found John standing right behind him. Hands caught at his waist and urged him to turn, and he found them standing only inches apart, forcing him to angle his head up to see into John's eyes. He could feel the warmth of John's hands seeping through his thin t-shirt, and when John leaned in Rodney froze as the soft lips pressed against his own, almost too scared to breath in case it was all just a dream.

"John?"

John answered his unspoken question by kissing him again, and this time Rodney melted into the long-desired kiss.

****

Chaya glanced up towards the stars as she felt John's life force mingle with Rodney's, smiling at a long overdue debt repaid.

END


End file.
